What was being said about Mbappe at Real, all of that is coming out to be true. Real is wobbly like a chair with loose screws; there's no pressing, two players rest without the ball, and without Kroos' lock.

Most of all, he suffers personally. In the format that is now being realized, Bellingham needs to play closer to the flank and work selflessly without the ball. His proprietary connections with the penalty area have disappeared, there is no freedom, no strength for decisive actions, no influence on matches. He cleans up after Mbappe. Last season, until the end of October, he scored 13 goals; in the current one, zero.

All this could be justified by Mbappe with a hail of goal-scoring actions, but this is not there. He used to receive the ball and create something out of nothing. Now he is just a forward - runs, plays in the penalty area - and nothing but a threat for the goal. His skills allow him to be the best in every part of the field, but right now, he is just a good striker who unbalances the team.